AUTUMN 2018
NEWS FROM CHIGWELL
CELEBRATING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHIGWELL SCHOOL COMMUNITY
In this Issue 02 Results Day
03 New Bus Routes
19 Duke of Edinburgh Awards
and much more... FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY
ACADEMIA
A Level Results
Chigwell School sixth form students and their teachers celebrated excellent A level results. 81% of results were at B grade or above with nearly half of all grades either A or A*, almost double the national average. A quarter of students achieved at least three A grades and the most common grade, across all the exams sat, was an A grade. Of the students who chose to take the Extended Project Qualification in addition to their three or four A levels, two thirds achieved an A or A* grade. For these students, top A level results enabled them to progress to some of the very best universities. Three quarters will be going to Russell Group universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, Birmingham, Nottingham, and University College London. A small number of students will be taking up places overseas including one at Harvard. Headmaster, Mr Michael Punt, said: “We encourage all our students to work hard so that they fulfil their potential, and it was great to see so many, so pleased with their results and with the university places that they have secured. We are very proud of our sixth formers, some of whom have spent most of their school careers at Chigwell whilst others only arrived two years ago from local schools or from overseas as boarders. Together this makes for a really vibrant mix and a busy, happy and purposeful sixth form in which all have contributed a great deal. They now leave us for some of the most prestigious universities in the country but it has been a pleasure to work with these young people, to see them develop as individuals and achieve so much. We will miss them, we wish them every future success and happiness, and we hope they stay in touch with us.� n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
ACADEMIA
GCSE Results Chigwell pupils, teachers and parents came together once again to celebrate the publication of GCSE results.
Mr Michael Punt, Headmaster, commented: “We were delighted with the students who have worked really hard and justly deserved their success. Likewise, their teachers have supported them tirelessly
achieved results which really are a reflection of their dedication. We look forward to working with them and the new students who will join them in the Sixth Form as they continue with their education.” n
and we are very proud of all that they have achieved together. It was particularly pleasing to see so many grade 9s amongst the results but there were also some students who have made tremendous progress and
This year results were a mixture of number and letter grades, but both systems reflected remarkable success. Over 73% of all grades were the equivalent of grade 7 or above. Nearly a quarter of candidates averaged at least a grade 8 or the equivalent in each subject and a third of the year group achieved at least eight grade 7s or more. Ten candidates achieved nothing less than a grade 8.
New Bus Service Chigwell School Bus Routes
Cnr. StonardS Hill & tHeydon grove
1 Epping, Theydon Bois, Debden
2 South Woodford, Woodford Green, Buckhurst Hill
JnCt. HigH rd & little Bury lane
Car Park of tHeydon oak
3 Loughton, Buckhurst Hill 4 Wanstead, Ilford, Gants Hill, Clayhall
1
5 Chafford Hundred Proudly provided by
tHe PluMe of featHerS PuB
Bell Hotel Car Park
SunnySide rd
3 traPS Hill/ HigH rd
Morgan CreSCent tHeydon BoiS green
JnCt. Brook rd & alderton Hill tHe CroWn tHe CreSCent
CriCket ground
WeStBury rd
alfred rd
kingS av.
CHingford fire Station Stag lane
5
neWlandS rd WHiteHall rd BanCroft SCHool Woodford green BroadMead rd
Woodford County HigH SCHool
CHurCHill MeMorial HigH rd SoutH Woodford
2
JnCt. Baron gdnS & Craven gdnS
SoutH Woodford
JnCt. WeStMinSter gdnS & Craven gdnS
longWood gdnS HigH St. HerMon Hill
WanStead lane
4 WanStead Station
de vere gdnS
JnCt. goSford gdnS & BeeHive lane
JnCt. St andreW’S rd & CranBrook riSe
An expanded bus service is now transporting pupils to and from Chigwell School. There is one service on each route in the morning and an early and late return service after school. The aim is to reduce the number of pupils who travel to school by car, but also to make the lives of families easier. It is hoped that, subject to sufficient demand, routes will be added to other destinations. n 02 | 03
ACADEMIA
Speech Day 2018 The annual Chigwell Speech Day took place with events relating to all pupils in the School.
On the Friday afternoon, there was a service of celebration in St Mary’s Church led by Chaplain Rev. Gary Scott, for pupils in Reception to Year 4 and this was followed by a garden party in the Pre Prep.
Saturday morning saw two services for the remaining Juniors and Seniors, at which the preacher was Rev. Mark Christian, a former army chaplain. Prize giving itself took place in the marquee on Top Field on Saturday afternoon and the guest of honour was Sharath
Nuffield Research Placement Sixth Form student Poppy Bradley was awarded a Nuffield placement and bursary, enabling her to work as part of a research team at the Lungs for Living Research Centre at University College London over the summer. Poppy’s supervisor is a PhD scientist and together they have been characterising the difference in the rate of proliferation between adult
and paediatric basal epithelial cells, which are found in the trachea. Poppy has carried out a variety of experiments herself involving cell culture, laser scanning confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry and she has also visited Great Ormond Street and University College Hospitals to collect samples in theatre for research. She may also be named in a paper which is due to be published on the work. Poppy said, “This has been both one of the most intellectually challenging and enjoyable things I have ever done and I have had a wonderful time”. n
Jeevan OC. Following a career in the City, Sharath founded STIR Education which seeks to support governments of less developed countries to help teachers improve their teaching so that pupils have a better start in life. Later in the evening, the annual Chigwell ball took place for leavers and parents. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
ACADEMIA
International Success for Adrianna Year 12 Chigwell student, Adrianna Wojtyna, came second in the 27th Dr İbrahim Arikan International Research Projects Competition in Turkey. This is a competition organised annually by the MEF Educational Institutions in Istanbul. Every year, about thirty international teams are selected to present their results at the finals, held at the MEF University and young researchers from all over the world have the opportunity to present their projects, to talk about their
results and to discuss different scientific methods. Adrianna’s research, ‘Detection of bacteria E.coli with biosynthesized silver nanoparticles as SERS substrates’, gained an impressive second place in the chemistry category of the competition. The distinguished jury was made up of representatives from technological companies, visitors, and professors. Adrianna commented that the experience was a great example of how broad the impact of science can be. Not only does it allow us to discover the unknown, but also to learn about new cultures, as well as to become more open-minded people. n
EPQ at LAE Tottenham Year 12 students from Chigwell visited the London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham for a joint afternoon workshop at the start of the Extended Project Qualification.
Some Chigwell and LAE students are beginning this well-regarded qualification alongside their A levels and this was an opportunity for both sets of students to collaborate. LAE students visited Chigwell in September and this return visit formed part of the ongoing relationship between the two schools. n
The Williams Project The Williams Project has now completed its tenth full year. This venture is named after Sir Bernard Williams, one of the foremost British philosophers of the 20th century, and an Old Chigwellian. As part of the Learning+ programme it provides opportunities for pupils at Chigwell School to broaden and
deepen their intellectual life. It encourages them to understand that thought is not divided into school subjects, and it urges them to gain such a realisation of their own specialism that they can explain its intricacies to others. Fortnightly meetings are held in two sections for Years 7 and 8, and Years 9-13; this offers our younger members better access to our speakers. Among the many speakers who came to Chigwell were Old Chigwellians Jonathan Burn and Dr Charlie Laderman. Jonathan expertly taught the assembled
Old Chigwellian Charlie Laderman at The Williams Project pupils how his phone app recognises birdsong, and Charlie topically discussed American Power and its new president.
All meetings are written up on our Archive. For more information please visit: www. williamsproject.org.uk n 04 | 05
ACADEMIA
BBC School Report Chigwell joined more than one thousand schools across the country to be part of BBC School Report News Day 2018. Twenty Year 7 and 8 pupils created a forty-minute news programme, linked from the BBC School Report website: https://gateway.chigwell-school. org/bbc-school-report/2018 The young, investigative reporters devised their own stories; they researched, wrote, edited and presented them using the best equipment available. Their stories covered interest in sustainable living
through growing food underground in London; whether the UK is ready for a shift to electric cars; the wisdom of investing in Bit Coins; the problem of illegal video streaming; the dangers posed by laser pointers and how online methods have changed job recruitment in the 21st century. Two hardy reporters climbed to the top of the Olympic Park’s Orbit to present a weather forecast with a difference. The project co-ordinator, Mrs Pewsey said, “This year’s programme revealed an underlying theme of technology and the pupils, like all good reporters, worked hard to find out more.” n
Chigwell sixth form government and politics students, Charlotte and Pavan discussed their views on whether 16 year-olds should be allowed to vote on ‘Breakfast with Ben and Sonia’ on BBC Radio Essex. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
ACADEMIA
British Biology Olympiad 2018 Three Chigwell students have won medals in the Biology Olympiad. The competition is an increasingly popular online quiz run by the Society of Biology for Years 12 and 13. Over 7,800 students took part this year including a team of twelve from Chigwell. Mr Paul Eardley, Head of Biology, commented that he was pleased
with the results and wanted to pass on congratulations to all who took part. Particular congratulations go to Jerry Zheng who came in the top 6% of candidates and was awarded a gold medal; Leah Redmond gained a silver medal because she was placed in the top 10% and Leon Raj came in the top 15% and achieved a bronze medal. n
Biology Challenge 2018 Chigwell biologists from Years 9 and 10 took part in the Biology Challenge, an online competition run by the Society of Biology open to all schools in the UK. The team of six produced some impressive results for such a small group, achieving
three silver medals, two bronze medals and one highly commended performance. Connie Duggan, Hanna Johal and Toby Jefferson won the silver medals, Matthew Punt and Nayan Bhudia won the bronze medals and Benjamin Duffee was highly commended. Congratulations to all who took part and well done for maintaining the school’s high level of success in this competition. n
Chigwell Chemists in the Royal Society of Chemistry Analyst Competition
Three Year 12 students worked extremely hard in the regional heat of the RSC Analyst Competition, held at Queen Mary College, University of London. Along with teams from twenty three other schools, A level chemists Poppy Bradley, Catherine Liyanagama and Arjinder Hara took part in a three hour practical including the standardisation of a citric acid solution and its analysis via spectroscopy. Much of this work is degree level chemistry and the students worked extremely hard as a team. Mr Long, who accompanied the students, was hugely impressed by their professional approach and teamwork. n 06 | 07
ACADEMIA
Civic Awards Chigwell sixth former, Abigail Whelan, won a prestigious ‘Youth Council Commendation’ for her contribution to the Epping Forest Youth Council’s Drug Awareness Survey. She co-ordinated the survey and led the analysis of the results. In addition, she presented the award for ‘Team of the Year 2018’ to the Chigwell Riding Trust Volunteers. n
Annual Careers Convention welcome back Old Chigwellians who have recently graduated and they could therefore share their experiences of both university and the competitive world of employment. Thanks go to all the representatives that gave up their time to make the evening such a success and they in turn praised the politeness and focus of the students who asked them questions. n
Pupils in Year 11 and the Sixth Form attended the annual careers convention.
Parents, friends and Old Chigwellians represented a wide variety of career areas sharing their expertise and experience. It was particularly good to
Festival of the Foreign Word The second annual Festival of the Foreign Word competition took place in the Swallow Library. A student was selected to represent each modern language and each had to choose one piece of literature to read in front of the student audience, judges from the modern language department
Rotary Youth Speaks Regional Final This year’s regional final of Rotary Youth Speaks was held in the Lord Ashcroft Building at the Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford and for the fourth time in eight years a team from Chigwell School was participating in this prestigious event. This year it was an
Intermediate team made up of Year 8s: Avantika Bharadwaj (chair), Nathan Mercer (speaker) and Alex Scott (vote of thanks). In the draw before the start, Chigwell won the opportunity to be the first to speak and they performed most creditably. n
and Governor, Mrs Isobel Peck. Julia Kortlaska represented French, Tej Hindosa represented Spanish and Daniel Tricov represented German. The students were judged on intonation, gesture, fluency and delivery of the piece, in the particular language. At the end of the event Daniel Tricov was announced as the winner and received his prize on Speech Day. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
ART & DESIGN
Art+ Workshop Chigwell was very fortunate to have a visit from the artist, Sneh Mehta. Sneh’s artwork was featured in John Moores 2016, an important painting competition that takes place every two years.
It highlights the most exciting paintings that have been made by artists based in the UK and as such, it is one of the most prestigious art prizes and exhibitions of contemporary painting in the country. Sneh is a graduate of Goldsmith’s College and her work has also been exhibited in The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Jerwood Space London and the South London Gallery. At the Art+ session, Sneh gave an illustrated talk to the pupils about her work, explaining what inspires and motivates her and how she goes about creating her art pieces. The pupils were able to look closely at her sketchbooks and some of her paintings. She then gave a practical demonstration, showing the pupils exactly how she goes about building up an image using a range of
techniques and art materials to create her paintings. Sneh uses a wide repertoire of mark-making techniques to create her work, layering colours, imagery and textures in original ways. The paintings mix figurative imagery with abstract elements. The pupils set about exploring these techniques and ideas in order to generate artwork of their
own. They embraced the whole process enthusiastically and they were keen to take creative risks. Art scholar Cayley Cochrane commented, “This was a different kind of art experience.” Lively, colourful and original artwork was generated by the group and the session proved to be a really enjoyable and productive experience. n
The 21st Open Junior Art, Design and Technology Exhibition Once again, Chigwell School hosted a primary schools’ art exhibition in which twenty six schools submitted work created by their pupils. The artwork was displayed in the Chigwell School Gallery and over three hundred visitors attended the opening of the exhibition. Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior School Art, commented, “We were delighted that so many schools were part of this year’s exhibition with work which ranged from a huge flying tissue paper parrot, to some beautiful detailed closeups of animal eyes in chalks and pastels. Pupils enjoyed seeing their work on display and we were very impressed by the quality of their art.” n 08 | 09
ART & DESIGN
Senior and Junior Art & Design and Design & Technology Speech Day Exhibition The Private View of the 2018 Senior and Junior Art & Design and Design & Technology Speech Day Exhibition took place in the school gallery just before Speech Day. The exhibition presented an amazing variety of topics and projects that had been created during the current academic year by our incredibly creative and talented pupils. Each and every one of the exhibits on display had been made with great amounts of skill, care and flair and the exhibition encompassed work from the youngest members of the Junior School to those pupils studying art and design or DT in the Sixth Form. It was wonderful to see so many staff, parents, pupils and friends of the School enjoying the exhibition. Head
of Art and Design, Mr Edwin Aitken, commented that it was a brilliant evening which clearly
highlighted the very meaningful and important contribution that creative subjects and activities
More Art at Chigwell...
continue to make to the life of the school and the ongoing development of our pupils. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
ART & DESIGN
Chigwell Host ‘Fabulous Fish’ Art Teachers’ Workshop Twenty art teachers from Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk came to the Junior Art Room for a wonderful day making ‘Fabulous Fish’. Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior Art, Design and Technology, commented, “Having grown up in Sussex by the sea, I have always been
passionate about everything to do with marine life. I have become more and more aware of the amount of plastic being washed up on our beaches, and eaten by our fish and sea creatures. So I was moved and inspired to have an environmental theme to this year’s workshop. The teachers could then not only make some highly colourful fabulous fish out of recycled plastic, but also
teach the children about saving our oceans.” The artist and designer Emma Collins came to run the course. She set up a demonstration table with some wonderful recycled plastic highly patterned painted fish. However, only one half of the fish were painted, which meant people could see exactly how they were made on the other side.
The aim of the day was to bring primary school teachers together to share expertise and ideas that can be taken back into the classroom for the benefit of pupils. One teacher said as she was leaving, ‘I can’t wait to get back to school tomorrow and start this inspirational and enjoyable project with my pupils’. n
#ICanEngineer Competition 2018 Once again this year Chigwell Year 8 pupils were shortlisted for the annual I Can Engineer competition run by the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE). The specified theme was ‘innovative underground spaces’ and the pupils were set the challenge of transforming a disused tunnel into a creative
space for members of the public to enjoy. The Year 8 pupils responded extremely well to this brief and designed some impressively innovative ideas, which resulted in six Chigwell teams being shortlisted for the competition. The pupils in these teams were invited to spend a day at the Institute of Civil Engineers in Westminster, where they engaged in practical engineering activities and presented their ideas to the
judges and other shortlisted candidates. The Chigwell pupils did extremely well in
this task and most importantly, all had an interesting, fun and educational day. n
10 | 11
CHARITY
Pre Prep Big Dance for Charity The Pre Prep’s annual Big Dance was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by both pupils and parents. All pupils participated enthusiastically in a challenging dance which included, to the delight of pupils, the rather peculiar ‘floss’ dance and a special tribute to the England football team. On the two mornings that the dance was
performed parents were invited also to enjoy a continental breakfast with friends at the Pre Prep’s Charity Coffee Mornings. Mrs Gibbs and Mrs Punt said that they were delighted that the events were extremely well supported and that over £530 was raised for two worthy charities, Cancer Research UK and the Chigwell Riding Trust. The generosity of our parents, as always, is greatly appreciated by the School. n
Chigwell Contribute to Centrepoint In the Lent term, one of the Year 8 classes read Stone Cold by Robert Swindells which is partially narrated from the perspective of a homeless teenager. As temperatures plummeted when the UK was preyed upon by the ‘beast from the east’, 8E began to think more carefully
about the plight of the homeless. What followed was one of the most successful individual charity fundraising initiatives in the school’s history. Two cake sales, one non-uniform day and the inaugural sponsored readathon ‘The Big Chill’, have raised over £4,600 and the pupils donated this money to Centrepoint who provide support, counselling, education and shelter to vulnerable teenagers and young adults.
The fundraising activities drew to a close with 8E wanting to raise awareness rather than just funds for this worthwhile charity. So the class slept rough on the fields in school to try to understand some of the issues faced by an increasing number of people in the country. Reiko Murray, Events and Community Manager for Centrepoint said that the pupils of Chigwell School
did a fantastic job with their fundraising activities. The money they’ve raised can help us provide vital skills training to sixty young people, empowering them to move on to living independently. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
CHARITY
Chigwell Challenge All of the Year 7 pupils worked hard volunteering at local charities as part of their ‘Chigwell Challenge’. This programme ran throughout their Activities Week. At Chigwell pupils are encouraged to consider ways in which they can help their local community. They are required to give up a little of their time to try and make a difference.
One group visited the Chigwell Riding Trust, a horseriding charity set up for riders with special needs. The physical and emotional benefits this centre offers the riders makes this a unique and important charity. They swept out the courtyard, washed and set up furniture and then cleaned windows in the stable and prepared bedding for the horses. Deborah Hall from the Riding Trust commented that she was really pleased and impressed, especially as a
Year 7 pupils at ELHAP...
Team Chigwell Fundraising
Teams of Chigwell parents, staff and Old Chigwellians united to run in the British 10k and Vitality London 10,000 races.
Stable windows – before and after! couple of the pupils decided to volunteer at the centre over the summer holidays. A different group visited ELHAP which is an adventure playground specially designed for people with disabilities. The pupils
tidied and cleared the outdoor play areas. Other groups visited local care homes to spend time with some of the residents. This brought together the younger and older generations and both benefited from the experience. n
...and at the Chigwell Riding Trust
The teams’ combined hard work of running and fundraising paid off in style with over £8,000 raised for Cancer Research UK. Both events took place on warm summer days and the stunning routes took the runners past many of
London’s most famous sights. In addition, there are more than one hundred Team Chigwell runners signed up for their next outing at the Royal Parks Half Marathon where last year they raised an amazing £83,000. n
12 | 13
DRAMA
Sleeping Beauty: The Ugly Truth The Key Stage 2 production this year was Sleeping Beauty: The Ugly Truth, a modern version inspired by the traditional tale. The intention was to have the entire performance produced by the KS2 pupils themselves. From the lighting and sound effects, props, staging ideas, backstage and the cast on stage, almost every aspect was created and made by them. To make this all the more impressive, the entire group only had four and a half weeks together to put on the show. The plot followed four narrators who had moved away from the fairy tale kingdom of ‘Beverley Hill’ in order to tell the story of life in their former town. The celebrities were revered, and a famous life style of glitz and glamour was idolised. However, at the christening of the princess in the story, Wanda the witch cursed the kingdom until they
Cymbeline Undaunted by the internet claim that Cymbeline was of all Shakespeare’s plays, the ‘most difficult to read’, Year 7 and 8 pupils relished the challenge and brought the sprawling, ‘untidy’ play to life. The version was a shortened one of twenty-five scenes and flowed quickly from the opening bars of live music to the curtain call. The director, Roderick Lonsdale, considered the cast to be the most talented he had had the pleasure of directing. The audiences thought so too. n
understood that true beauty lies within. The performances themselves were huge successes. Both nights were sold out and the audience
greatly enjoyed the visual, fun and lively shows. Each child put in their very best efforts and produced some outstanding individual performances.
Mr Gamwell commented that all the staff involved were extremely proud of the pupils’ commitment, effort and endeavour throughout. n
DRAMA
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
GCSE Scripted Drama Pieces Year 11 Drama pupils performed in an exceptional series of scripted pieces.
The work included monologues and scenes that they had prepared for this year’s examinations. The Drama Centre was packed to see these excerpts and the pupils gave a series of outstanding and moving performances. There was a focus on Greek classical tragedy so the light-hearted excerpts from Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Two Gentleman of Verona, Neil Simon’s California Suite and Patrick Barlow’s zany take on The Thirty-Nine Steps came as a welcome relief from the succession of tragic heroines and the blind Oedipus. This is not to say that the audience weren’t moved and awed by the more serious pieces. n
Scholars’ Play: California Suite In spite of the comparatively short rehearsal time the scholars’ play was a riot from start to finish. With expert direction from sixth former Becky Howarth, backed up with the set and costumes by Head of Drama, Joe Maingot, smooth lighting changes from Andy Lewis, plus a very talented cast, the Neil Simon farce was excellent entertainment. Comedies such as California Suite require great skill and a lot of physical acting to bring them off and the cast rose magnificently to the challenge. n
14 | 15
MUSIC
Young Musician of the Year Competition The Young Musician of the Year Competition demonstrated that commitment, hard work and talent add up to stunning performances by our pupil musicians. Lucas Abrami-Gill attained the top award, followed by Edwin To and Georgia Reid, for ‘highly commendable.’ Adjudicator, Michael Howard, said “the quality of performance on the day from all musicians, not just those who made it to the final, was a wonderful spectacle and advertisement for Chigwell School and something to be proud of.” Thirty-seven pupils participated through the entire day, with a total of sixty-seven pieces played. Director of Music, Howard Ebden, remarked that these events don’t even begin to reveal the capabilities of our musicians. “The vast majority of performers play three or more
instruments, each with its own demands of time and skill to master, the tenacity required for these young people, to be so dedicated to their music was palpable on the night.”
Mr Ebden also noted that putting the competitive aspect aside, the day enabled every pupil to demonstrate real success and quality in their work. “To us, they are all winners who should
be proud of their own individual performances. This is what we celebrated at the end, with all participants receiving a certificate and acknowledgement from adjudicator, Michael Howard.” n
emotion, extremes of dynamic, timbre and joy ‘freude’. It was befitting that soloists Eleanor Janes, Daniela Thomas, Alex
Garziglia and Matthew Duncan, were teachers of the school and that their pupils were in the choir, singing alongside. n
Choral Concert 2018 The annual choral concert took place in the splendid setting of Christ Church Spitalfields and gave Chigwell pupils as young as eight the chance to perform alongside students in their final year, staff, parents and professionals. In addition, the evening gives the winner of last year’s Chigwell Young Musician of the Year competition the opportunity to present a full concerto and Rowan Jones, who is now studying clarinet at the Royal Academy, gave a beautifully poised performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto
in A. The detail in the classical architecture of this iconic work for clarinet was aptly mirrored in the beauty of the Hawkesmoor interior design of Christ Church. A quartet of students in their final year, Kate Hawes, Maddie Lovett, Sarina Rattan and Yasmin Antoniou, sang Schubert’s Gott ist mein Hirt, accompanied by strings and harps. Such was the sound coming out of the church during the afternoon rehearsal that members of the public passing the doors returned in the evening to buy tickets and see the concert. The Finale was the final movement of Beethoven’s tumultuous 9th Symphony, powerfully charged with
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
MUSIC
Rotary in London: ‘Youth Makes Music’ Rotary in London chose Chigwell School’s Chapel Choir to perform in their annual ‘Youth Makes Music’ concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Choir director, Howard Ebden, conducted the group through an extended set that included works by Charles Wood, James Curnow and John Rutter. The choir performed magnificently in the packed hall, to resounding applause. Even the stage sound technicians for the London Philharmonic Orchestra commented on how brilliant the choir sounded. Oliver Jackson’s solo permeated the Hall in Rutter’s Rise up Shepherd and Follow. Besides performing with the chapel choir, Year 8 chorister, Krish Gupta gave an exhilarating performance of rock classics including Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water. BBC presenter, Ellie Crisell, remarked that Krish performed
as if he had been plucked out of the West End production of School of Rock. In addition to our own ensemble, six of our orchestral musicians played
with the Redbridge Symphony Orchestra, including Yasmin Antoniou as principal violinist, in Bernstein’s West Story Suite. Chigwell School have a proud
tradition of music and these young musicians made the most of this opportunity to show their high-quality musicianship. n
Chamber Concert
The Chamber Concert in New Hall offered an intimate setting, fitting for the generally smaller ensembles who performed for parents, staff and friends.
These included string, saxophone and trombone quartets as well as flute, clarinet, percussion and drum groups who all played short pieces that flowed smoothly from one to the next displaying the range of diverse talents and enthusiasm of the pupils. n 16 | 17
MUSIC
Summer Concert New Hall was packed for the last concert of the academic year with performances from a variety of senior school pupils, including those
for whom it was their last musical appearance at Chigwell. There was power and energy from the Wind Band and Drum Line, the mature voices of the Year 9 girls, neat ensemble
playing from the String Orchestra, Saxophone and Flute Groups and a professional performance from the Chapel Choir. Interspersed were solos from Yasmin Antoniou playing Czardas on violin, Maddie Lovett singing On Mighty Pens
and Kate Hawes singing In His Eyes. The evening finished with a rousing set from the departing Year 13 musicians which was followed by their moving presentation to all the staff who have supported them through their musical careers at school. n
Junior Summer Concert The Junior School Summer Concert was a stunning showcase for the diversity and quality of music on offer to all pupils at Chigwell. Performances ranged from reggae to soul, and from jazz
to classical music. The varied repertoire was undertaken by large scale orchestral ensembles, contemporary choirs of all kinds as well as small groups such as the string quartets, ukulele groups, percussion and wind ensembles. The whole evening was a joyous celebration of children making music. n
Year 7 Prom
In addition to the music education delivered via the curriculum, pupils are offered practical music lessons at Chigwell. These now total over four hundred per week and are provided by twenty-six visiting instrumental teachers. Examinations for three boards; ABRSM, Trinity Board and Trinity Rock and Pop are taken up to nine times a year. Notably, Yasmin Antoniou has been awarded her performance diplomas this year on both piano and violin, Arthur Easey has been awarded a place to study at the Junior Royal Academy, Jack Murray is part of the National Youth Jazz Scheme, Mily La has a place at the pre Junior Academy and Maddie Lovett continues to sing with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
OUT & ABOUT
Duke of Edinburgh Awards As part of the expansion of outdoor learning opportunities at Chigwell, it has been very pleasing to see the increase in participation in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. This scheme requires completion of activities in four categories: volunteering, physical, skills and the expedition. Many of those who have completed the award recognise that they have developed skills, resilience, confidence and friendships whilst doing so. This summer there were fiftynine Year 9 pupils undertaking their Bronze expedition in Swattenden, Kent. The groups carried out route planning and had their equipment checked by the DofE expedition assessors, they then completed a 15km hike unaccompanied. Part of the assessment is for the pupils to cook an evening meal and successfully pitch their tents. The following morning the assessors look for a healthy breakfast and a clean camp area, then off for the final stretch of their hike. The finale is to present a team discussion based on the aims of their journey, anything from looking at the flora and fauna to observation of waste in the area. At Silver level twelve pupils canoed the River Thames in Oxfordshire for their qualifying
expedition. The groups paddled a total of 70km over three days camping at various locks along the way, they had to contend with extremely hot weather. Twenty-five pupils opted to walk their silver qualifying expedition across the South Downs. They completed a total of 65km over three days, with two nights camping, as well as the walking they also spent time completing the aim of their expedition. The expedition assessors for both groups were extremely impressed by the mature attitude, map reading skills and camp craft displayed by the pupils. The Gold level students completed their qualifying expeditions in Scotland either canoeing the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, walking in the Kintail/Knoydart area or navigating around the Cairngorms, Scotland. This year has seen the biggest intake of Gold students, with thirty-eight pupils completing some part of the expedition section this summer. Chigwell is reviewed annually by the Essex DofE team. The year-end report states that Chigwell School has exceeded the 62% completion target with a final completion of 92%. As ever, it is not without the assistance of many staff members here at Chigwell that the Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to grow and without them the many expeditions that happen would not be able to take place. n
18 | 19
OUT & ABOUT
Activities Week During this busy week pupils from across the School took part in a variety of activities and trips. The aim is to give the pupils opportunities and experiences that extend beyond the standard curriculum and
well beyond the classroom. For example, pupils visited Barleylands Farm, Kingswood and Lower Grange Farm activity centres and hiked in the Lake District. They learnt new skills such as raft building and archery. In addition, pupils volunteered at local care homes and there were numerous other activities as well. n
Lower Grange Farm
The Lake District
Kingswood
Kingswood
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
OUT & ABOUT
Barleylands Farm
Woodland Classroom
Gardening Club
Fairlop Waters
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OUT & ABOUT
Ashram and Partner School Visit in India A party of twelve comprising eight pupils, two parents and two teachers, took part in Chigwell School’s annual trip to Tamil Nadu to stay in the Saccidananda Ashram
and visit the Timothy Pruss memorial School. The pupils spent time reading and speaking English with pupils at the school which has been developed in memory of former pupil Timothy Pruss who died after leaving Chigwell in 2005. They contributed to the
entertainment at the school’s prize-giving by dancing and they distributed the prizes. They also visited the social projects supported by the Ashram in local villages and saw first-hand both some of the everyday hardships faced by the poorest in the population and also what can be done
to help people out of that poverty. There was also time for a little sightseeing. David Gower, Deputy Head said that despite the heat, the relative lack of luxury and the odd insect, everyone on the trip was prepared to get the most out of it and made it a wonderfully memorable experience. n
Geography Trip to Iceland At the start of the Easter break, twentyeight Year 13 students travelled to Iceland for the annual geography trip with three members of staff. On the first day, the group took in the attractions of Reykjavik including Hallgrimskirkja Church which is modelled on natural rock columns as well as the Harpa Concert Hall and harbour areas. The next day, the party visited a number of beautiful waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss which spills sixty metres over a former sea cliff but is now inland due to isostatic rebound. They also visited Eyjafjallajökull to gain an insight into the impact of the 2010 eruption. Another impressive site was Sólheimajökull glacier which has been retreating at the rate of
one hundred metres a year for the last century. The final day included visits to Geysir spouting hot spring, a dairy farm at
Efstidalur and the National Park at Thingvellir where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD. One of the very last
stops on the trip was at the Blue Lagoon, the bathing pool where the geothermal seawater is drawn from a 2km borehole. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
OUT & ABOUT
The 18th Annual German Exchange Chigwell pupils travelled to Hamburg for the eighteenth annual German exchange. During their stay they went to school with their exchange partners and visited the city of Hamburg itself. Other trips took them to the world’s biggest model railway, the Arriba adventure swimming pool and the chocolate museum where
pupils had the chance to make their own chocolate bars in the ‘Chocoversum’. In addition, pupils had the opportunity to
visit the city of Bremen where they enjoyed the science museum in particular. Head of German, Mr Lukesch, commented, “We
are looking forward to the return visit of our friends from Hamburg. Liebe Freunde – willkommen in Chigwell!“ n
Krakow and Auschwitz Trip Thirty three pupils from Chigwell School, have just returned from a trip to Krakow and Auschwitz. Over three very intensive days, they had to digest huge amounts of information about the monumental tragedy of the Jewish community in Poland, not only visiting Krakow but also the salt mine and, most importantly, Auschwitz.
main river is an area where the Jews were herded into a ghetto during WW2. Pupils soberly watched the square where over a thousand men, women and children were massacred in the final ‘liquidation’ of the Krakow Jews in 1943. Empty chairs in the square serve as a powerful reminder of the people who never sat there.
Mrs Kwiecinska commented that the pupils made her proud, displaying good manners, courtesy and maturity. They had different opinions and different observations; some were horrified by the amount of hair they saw in Auschwitz concentration camp, small shoes left behind and the enormous space that the whole camp covered; others were
deeply touched by the pictures of prisoners, children holding hands while walking to their deaths. This all amounted to a deeply emotional and educational trip, greatly complementing the material covered in history and religious studies back at Chigwell School. n
Their guide took them into the largest death camp in Europe, showing and explaining the remaining evidence of the genocide committed by the Nazis. One day was spent visiting Krakow’s castle and old city where pupils learned of Poland’s complicated history and the power of religion in this country, which still influences the national mentality. One of the main parts of Krakow is the Jewish district, once lively and thriving, now melancholic but popular among tourists. Across the 22 | 23
OUT & ABOUT
New Forest Scout Camp The Chigwell School Scouts spent a sunny week at Foxlease Activity Centre near Lyndhurst in the New
Forest National Park for the annual camp. They took part in a variety of adventurous activities, including orienteering, high ropes and a 17-mile mountain bike ride through the New Forest. Other highlights included visiting the Splashdown waterpark in Poole, and Bournemouth beach. Several prizes were awarded by Mr Maynes at the end of camp, notably the Dobby Quaic Award to Holly Hartwell for being the all-round best camper this year. All the Scouts enjoyed a great time, and have learned solid skills for future camps such as for Kandersteg, Switzerland in 2019. n
Ski Trip: Artesina Twenty-seven Year 10 pupils spent a week skiing in Artesina, Italy. They stayed in a hotel adjacent to the slopes and thoroughly enjoyed the ski in, ski out location. The skiers were split into two groups based on ability and experience. The beginners made excellent progress during the week and the group of intermediate
Trip to CERN Twenty-five intrepid explorers headed to Geneva at the start of the Easter holidays. The group visited the History of Science Museum before taking a water taxi across Lake Geneva to spend an hour or so looking around. As evening came it was off to the Swiss themed meal, where Alpine horns, yodelling, cowbells, spoons and accordions accompanied the cheese fondue and Swiss sausage meal. Then it was back to the hostel for
an early night in readiness for the departure for CERN the following day. When the party arrived at CERN, the home of the Large Hadron Collider, they listened to an introductory lecture and then they went to a couple of sites in the CERN complex. Informative talks, guides and animations explained how A level physics formed the basic theory of the LHC as it smashes protons together to create conditions similar to those microseconds after the Big Bang. n
skiers had a great time skiing the pistes of Artesina and linking to the neighbouring resorts of Prato Nevoso and Frabosa Soprana. The group were well looked after by all the staff at the hotel. Each day after skiing they took part in a varied après ski programme including a quiz night, karaoke, tobogganing and celebrating the 54th birthday of the resort of Artesina. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
OUT & ABOUT
First World War Battlefields Trip A group of Year 9 pupils travelled to the First World War battlefields. The first day of the tour was centred around the Belgian town of Ypres, a hugely significant place for Britain during, and after the war. Whilst on the Salient they visited the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Lijssenthoek, which was strikingly different from the German cemetery they visited later in the day at Langemarck. In between these two visits the pupils entered the trench system at Bayernwald in order to see how the Germans held the advantage of the high ground around Ypres. The group ended the first day at the hugely imposing Menin Gate in the town centre, which lists the names of those who went to the Front but never returned and were never found. The following day the group were on the Somme and visited
Dylan James-Pajwani reading To My Old School, 1918, written by John Kennings Thurlow (OC) at the grave of Geoffrey Albert Pain (OC)
some fascinating places including Ulster Tower and the trenches that were left on the 1st July 1916. Closer to home they visited the Delville Wood cemetery where Geoffrey Pain, an Old Chigwellian, is laid to rest. He was only sixteen when he was killed in action on the Somme. They listened to a poem written
by J.K. Thurlow, another Old Chigwellian victim of the First World War as they observed a minute’s silence by his graveside. At the end of the day they visited the imposing Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and amongst the 72,000 names is the name of H.B.K. Allpass, another Old Chigwellian. By the panel with
his name they left a wreath and heard a poem that he had written himself, alongside one written by a former Headmaster the Revd. Canon Richard Dawson Swallow. Head of History, Ian Goddard, commented that it was a memorable trip and the pupils were a credit to the School. n
In Thiepval Wood, from where the Irish battalions launched their attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 24 | 25
OUT & ABOUT
Singapore and Malaysia Hockey Tour Chigwell pupils travelled to Singapore and Malaysia for a superb hockey tour this summer. A total of thirty boys and girls participated and they had the opportunity to develop and improve their hockey, to embrace different cultures and new experiences as well as to make friends through sport. The tour visited Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang and the pupils played in some spectacular venues including the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium, Jalan Duta and the Bukit Jalil Stadium, home of Malaysian hockey. Due to the humid conditions and the strong opposition which included SSN SMK Titiwangsa School and SSN SMK Gunung Rapat School, the fixtures
proved to be tough, hard fought but thrilling. Away from the hockey pitch the squads enjoyed many highlights including the Botanical Gardens of Singapore,
Sentosa Island, Tiger Sky Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers and the King’s Palace in Kuala Lumpur as well as the National Park at Teluk Bahang. The
trip proved to be a resounding success, not least due to the impeccable behaviour of the Chigwell pupils both on and off the pitch. n
in aid of charity at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Igualada where there was standing room only, and then two local concerts in La Palma, the second of which was televised. This term the choir will record a CD of Christmas
music and all profit will go to charity. Since 2013 the Chapel Choir has helped raise more than £150,000 for charities including Smiles with Grace, Kids Inspire and LifeBox. n
Music Tour to Spain The Chapel Choir returned to the Catalonian region of Spain where they performed a gruelling concert schedule.
Highlights of the tour included performing to large audiences in Gaudi’s iconic masterpiece, Sagrada Familia, the stunning Abbey at Montserrat and the Tarragona Cathedral. The tour also included concerts
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
SPORT
Sports Days Sunshine and smiles were characteristics of the three Chigwell School sports days this year. Mass participation with friendly rivalry were on display as Pre Prep, Junior and Senior pupils competed for the honour of their houses in traditional athletic events. Large numbers of parents and grandparents cheered on the competitors in the heat and were rewarded with exciting performances throughout each event. n
Pre Prep
Juniors
Seniors 26 | 27
SPORT
Impassable Iley Swims to IAPS Victory Jonathon Lazarov, Amy Wright and Isabel Iley competed in the IAPS National Swimming Finals at the London Aquatic Centre, having previously earned their spots through the qualifying round at Bishops Stortford College. In an event, which saw 4,000 pupils from 296 schools across the country compete, it was an
excellent achievement for them to have reached the final. Jonathon Lazarov was first to represent Chigwell School in the Boys Session in the morning. He competed in the U13 Boys 50m Freestyle racing well from the outside lane to finish 13th in his age group, achieving a time of 30.27s. Amy was next and first to represent the girls. She competed in the U10 Girls 25m Butterfly achieving a personal best of 17.80s coming 16th overall. When asked about the
Jonathon Lazarov
experience Amy said, “I was so excited because it was my first time actually getting in, it was so fun. I am 16th for Butterfly in the country for my age group, out of all the private schools in the country. I hope I made our school proud and I am very pleased that I achieved a personal best.� Last but by no means least; Isabel Iley represented Chigwell School, competing in the U12 Girls 50m Backstroke. With a family history of winning the event and setting records, Isabel calmly and collectively dealt
Amy Wright
Golf This again has been a good year with many players from different age groups involved.
Ria Prabhakar
A member of the junior team, Ria Prabhakar, played in the Girls U8 US Kids British Championship held at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales. Ria was leading by one shot after the first day and managed to hold her nerve during the second round to come away with a tournament win. The Celtic Manor win gave Ria confidence for the Wee Wonders British Championship Girls 8 and under Grand Final, held at St Andrews. Rounds of 37, 41 and 36 respectively, meant that Ria finished in a very credible 3rd position. In May, Ria competed in the US Kids European
with this pressure. In her heat, with the record time written on her hand, she executed her swim well, not only convincingly winning the heat but also setting a new record. She went into the final as firm favourite and did not disappoint, dominating from start to finish becoming IAPS National Champion at her distance and breaking her previous record with a time of 31.02s. All of the swimmers who took part in the finals were a credit to the school and should be very proud of their achievements. n
Isabel Iley
Championships at Longniddy Golf Club in Scotland. This tournament saw twenty-eight players competing from twelve countries and Ria finished an impressive 10th. Congratulations to James Styles and Tom Atkinson who have both lowered their handicaps this season and continue to be regular members of the Essex team for their respective age groups. n
Tom Atkinson
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
SPORT
National Final for Chigwell School Chigwell made it to the ISFA U16 Small Schools Shield Final at the prestige National Football Centre, St George’s Park. n
Hockey at Chigwell…
U14 Essex Tournament
1st XI
Essxe U11 Runners Up 28 | 29
SPORT
Cricket
Old Chigwellians v School cricket match
U11 cricket
The final cricket match of the season was the 1st XI fixture against the MCC side, captained by Old Chigwellian Rahul Bhome. The match was drawn and afterwards Rahul presented the Spirit of Cricket Cap to Ben Chillingworth. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2018
SPORT
Netball
Karate
At the Kyoji-Kai Open championships, Teddie Mulhall won gold in the individual 13/14 division and captained a team to win gold in the 13/14 team event. This led to him being selected for the England team to represent his country at the WUKF world championships. n
Independent Schools Netball Cup Plate U13s v Wimbledon High School
U14 All England National Schools Netball Regional Tournament
Cross Country
Mothers’ & Daughters’ Rounders Match
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OPEN EVENTS 2018 4+ Entry Saturday 15th September from 10.00am - 12 noon Saturday 29th September from 12 noon - 3.00pm
7+ Entry Saturday 15th September from 10.30am - 12.30pm Saturday 29th September from 1.30pm - 4.30pm
11+ Entry Saturday 29th September from 1.30pm - 4.30pm Saturday 10th November from 10.30am - 12.30pm
16+ Entry Saturday 29th September from 1.00pm - 4.00pm Thursday 18th October from 7.30pm - 9.30pm “Achievement is excellent throughout the school.” Independent Schools Inspectorate
Bursaries and scholarships available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ A LEADING INDEPENDENT EDUCATION FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 4 to 18 admissions@chigwell-school.org www.chigwell-school.org 020 8501 5700